Project skills: Go, C/C++, Java/JavaScript, Python, OpenMP/MPI, Haskell/Ocaml/Racket, SQL, Bash, Docker/Amazon EC2
Status: ongoing
Authors: Xincheng Yang, Kyle Hale, ...Description: An ongoing project focused on detecting and verifying sharding-related correctness and performance issues in Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) systems.
Description: This work introduces an auto-balanced leadership protocol via sharding, achieving higher throughput than EPaxos (SOSP '13 & NSDI '21) by reducing communication message complexity. I independently developed the core idea, implemented the protocol, and conducted experiments, while my advisor provided expert guidance and feedback throughout the project and manuscript preparation. This work has been accepted at IPDPS (2026).
Description: This work introduces a data structure that addresses consistency in cross-sharded systems, achieving higher throughput than ZooNet (ATC '16) through a history composition mechanism. I carried out the core research(conceptual design, implementation, experiments, and drafting writing), with my advisor providing expert guidance and feedback throughout the process. This work was presented as a poster at GCASR (2023) and published at ISPDC (2025)
Description: Involved in exploratory research on implementing and extending Apache ZooKeeper using FLX. My primary responsibilities included event-driven client–server interactions, heartbeat mechanisms, and coordination protocols. Contributed to system implementation and helped team members understand ZooKeeper internals. This work was presented as a poster at Middleware (2021).
Description: For an existing cross-shard consistency implementation (ZooNet, USENIX ATC '16), I contributed to resolving several issues, including incorrect zk IDs, concurrent request conflicts, and outdated URLs.
Description: Explored an aerokernel implementation (Nautilus, HPDC '15) as part of a Virtual Machine course research project. Implemented a subset of standard OpenMP directives on the Nautilus kernel, including omp_task, thread/team abstractions, barriers, locks, and dependencies.
Description: Conducted exploratory research on implementing Hadoop using FLX (Feature Language Extension for Java), a language published in Computer Networks (2007). Focused on event-driven client–server interactions and MapReduce execution via job–worker assignment.
Description: Explored loadable kernel modules (LKMs) and low-level system programming as part of a computer security course research project, gaining hands-on experience with OS internals, system calls, and safe experimentation practices. I contributed to coding, while my teammate was responsible for the presentation and drafting the paper description.